Media under siege in BBM era — group

A media organization on Sunday lambasted the government over the 242 press freedom violations it said it has recorded since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in 2022.

Of the number, 43 percent were allegedly perpetrated by government officials and state security forces.

As the country marked World Press Freedom Day on Sunday, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) cited the need to address threats and violence against media practitioners.

Marcos himself had acknowledged the danger journalists face daily during the oathtaking ceremony for the officers of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) last March.

“The Philippines remains one of the most dangerous places for journalists,” the President said, citing the need to address threats and violence against media practitioners.

He revealed that the Presidential Task Force on Media Security had signed a memorandum of agreement with the National Bureau of Investigation to address the violence and threats against media workers.

“State repression remains the biggest threat to media freedom, and the pattern of violations under this administration is deeply alarming,” the NUJP said, adding that under Marcos, 10 journalists had been killed.

Persistent risks

The country, based on the World Press Freedom Index, is ranked 114th out of 180 countries, from its previous 116th ranking, reflecting a slight improvement but still indicating persistent risks and pressures on journalists.

Reporters Without Borders (RWB) said the Philippines garnered 46.97 out of 100, stating that the state of press freedom in the country is categorized as “difficult.”

Another report, by the International Federation of Journalists, states that two journalists were killed in the Philippines in 2025, keeping the country among the most dangerous, with risks heavily concentrated among provincial radio journalists.

Although police ruled two of those deaths as non-work-related, the NUJP said “the fact remains that the state has failed to protect journalists and media workers. Perpetrators have not been brought to justice.”

In a report, RWB said that 20 journalists were killed during the entire six-year term of Rodrigo Roa Duterte, now on trial at The Hague for drug-related killings.

The same report maintained that the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was considered the most dangerous time for journalists, with 80 to 103 media workers killed during her nine-year tenure.

The total includes the gruesome killing of 32 media workers in 2009, known as the Maguindanao Massacre, in which journalists were killed in a single attack.

Media killings

Amid these historical comparisons, media groups said current conditions continue to raise concern.

Beyond red-tagging, the NUJP said libel and the Data Privacy Act continue to be used as weapons against the press.

“In some instances, politicians threatened colleagues with charges… often as a warning against pursuing controversial stories,” it said.

It added that journalists continue to face surveillance, physical and verbal attacks, cyberattacks, denial of access to information and online harassment.

It lamented that the recommendations of UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan — including stopping media killings, decriminalizing libel, ending red-tagging and passing a Freedom of Information law — remain unfulfilled.

These attacks “do not happen in a vacuum,” but are driven by attempts to “hide, obfuscate or distort” the truth for political ends, the group maintained.

“We call on the public to stand with us in defending media freedom and democracy.”